Poetry for me is a way of living, it comes out of nowhere and I have to write it down. How I write, what I write, I decide. I am not asking you to be judgemental. I am gifted with the ability to see beyond the obvious.

Friday, February 29, 2008

teachers bleed too, if only you understood that

for twelve years, you came to useach day a new dawn-a much loved daughter of your parentspampered by two older brothers.still, completely unspoiltnothing was out of reachnothing was deniedyet you never demanded-maintaining a balance.your friends adored youteachers liked you(owning this, is a rarity, believe me!)last day of schoolon the eve of your school leaving examsyou took our blessing, good wishes.

what happened in the next fifteen minutesyou went home and hanged yourself?

girl, empowerment is sharing too-if you had only understood thatwe could have saved a precious life.

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I post this simple worded verse, raw and unedited. I am not coming back to improve upon it. I can't when the heart is bleeding. This happened on 25th of February, 2008. One of the students (17 years old) came to school, collected her admit card for the school leaving exams commencing from 1 March, 2008. Went home and hanged herself to death within the next 15 minutes. In moments like this, I question myself, where did we go wrong?

It's painful and so sad for her parents and loved ones to bear. Teachers are not spared of course. It's moments like this, that makes teachers more reflective and more determined to succeed in reaching out to students. Thanks for sharing.

Oh my God! :( What went on, in her mind in her last minutes that made her do this is a question on one side that can never be answered; and what will go on in her parents' and near ones' mind for the rest of their lives is a question no one would ever want to know the answer for. i feel sorry for her parents, her family, her teachers...have so many thoughts,so many questions running through my mind right now..but no point...wish she could have talked to someone before she went to that point of no return..wish that someone was me..strange, i know..yet...I am with you, Gautami. Take care...

Gosh!!! We hear such cases so often nowadays when exams draw near, but this was like a wahck on the head....asking us to wake up...and when u feel that you could have done something to help, it really hurts

O help do I share this one! I too am a teacher and also had a student who suicided by drowning some years ago (just before Christmas while doing final exams!) This student was not highly academic, but above average. He was loved by all. He was even a mentor for less able students. And yet, there was something missing. Perhaps, he felt too much weight of responsibility. I wish I knew the answer.

Let me just say I feel your bleeding so much. Remember, we help where we can! But we must keep trying! I do!

I have known of several "kids" who have made the decision to end their life. During these devastating events, my heart has gone out to their parents, relatives, friends and even neighbors. I am ashamed to say I never thought about the affect their decisions had on their teachers. And now that I have been so enlightened by your testimony of love for your students, I am amazed I never saw the loss and sadness a teacher must feel at a time like this. I am so sorry for your pain. My only hope is in writing this, you are empowered to be even more caring to your students. Blessings, Cricket

I'm sorry! How awful and scary. You can never truly know what goes through a child's mind at moments like this. You are a caring teacher to hurt so badly. I hope your school has proper counselling and help during this trying time. :(HUGS

What a tragedy! I'm so sorry to hear this, Gautami. Just heartbreaking.

When I was in London, there were news stories about 17 teenagers in Wales hanging themselves (not all at the same time), for no apparent reasons. It is just shocking - what could have been so terrible that they would resort to such an end?

I am so sorry, Gautami. It is horribly sad for her, her family and friends, and every responsible adult that has heard. No one understands suicide, not really. I think if we could get in the minds of people and peek, we would be surprised by how much is going on behind the surface. Teachers, even parents, cannot know all, too many people are actually exceptional actors, whether by design or natural talent.

As a teacher this really hit home. You see your students day in and day out and want desperately to do what you can to help them reach their potential. But you can't reach all of them. And you can never really know what is happening inside their hearts and minds.Thinking of you in this time.

About Me

For someone who teaches mathematics, poetry comes easy. There are so many aspects about myself that are unknown even to me. Poetry is way to explore myself. Where it will lead me, I don't know. I don't want to know. I thrive on the unknown.